Commission approves Belgian aid scheme for
inland waterway transport

The European Commission authorised today a Belgian
scheme which intends to encourage the development of inland waterway transport
between the Flemish coastal ports and the hinterland. The aid promotes the
traffic shift of freight from road to a more environmentally friendly mode of
transport. The scheme will be accessible to all EU transport undertakings
operating regular services in Belgium.

The European transport policy encourages the use of inland waterway and other
environmentally friendly modes of transport to become competitive alternatives
to road haulage. As regards inland navigation, the NAIADES programme states that
on a liberalised inland navigation market, “the European Commission aims
at promoting and strengthening the competitive position of inland waterway
transport, in particular by enhancing its integration into multi-modal supply
chains”[1].

Under the Belgian scheme, subsidies will be granted for the construction or
reconstruction of vessels that can navigate on the part of the sea between
Zeebrugge and Vlissingen/Breskens (NL) ("Estuarine navigation"). The aid can
also support the start-up of regular container services between Flemish coastal
ports and the hinterland (in particular, Flanders and the Rhine Valley).

The aid covers the period 2006-2008 and has a total budget of 6,240,776 EUR
for three years.

The Commission has found the scheme compatible with the Treaty
rules[2].